Paleo Zucchini Banana Bread (No Sugar Added)

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This paleo zucchini banana bread is made with almond flour and shredded zucchini and only sweetened with bananas (no added sugar). This loaf is soft, tender and fluffy - perfect as a side to breakfast or afternoon snack.

Homemade banana bread is one of my favorite things to bake. I love it because you can make it low in sugar by just sweetening it with ripe bananas, and you can add any mix-ins your heart desires! Plus, my kids LOVE banana bread - that's a huge win for me.

This zucchini banana bread was created by my desire to get some zucchini into my kids' diet, as zucchini isn't a vegetable they're fond of. But since they love banana bread, especially with chocolate chips, I knew this would be an instant hit.

This banana bread is made with almond flour and zucchini and only sweetened with ripe bananas. It's an oil free loaf too, as the bananas add enough moisture to keep the bread soft and tender.

Why You'll Love this Zucchini Banana Bread

paleo friendly - made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about
gluten free and grain free - made with a combination of almond flour and tapioca starch
low in sugar - only sweetened with bananas
easy to make - no complicated steps or fancy equipment needed!
dairy free and oil free - this banana bread doesn't contain any oil or dairy, but still has a moist, tender texture.

Ingredients

The full recipe for this zucchini banana bread can be found in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need:

mashed banana - made from mashing ripe bananas (I just use a fork). I recommend yellow bananas with a few brown speckles.
shredded zucchini - you'll need to shred the zucchini, then squeeze out the excess water with a nut milk bag or cheesecloth.
large eggs - needed to bind the ingredients and give the loaf structure
vanilla extract - for flavor
almond flour - to keep this loaf gluten free and paleo
tapioca starch - added for texture purposes. You can swap tapioca starch for arrowroot starch/flour.
baking powder and baking soda - for the rise
salt - enhances the flavors
cinnamon and nutmeg - optional ground spices for added flavor
mini dark chocolate chips - optional mix-in. You can also use regular sized chocolate chips or chop up a dark chocolate bar.

Ingredients needed to make paleo zucchini banana bread.

How to Make Paleo Zucchini Banana Bread

This bread is made in a mixing bowl and poured into a loaf pan. I used my 8"x4" loaf pan, but 9"x5" would work well too.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Combined dry bread ingredients in mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

Combined wet ingredients in mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until combined.

Batter for zucchini banana bread in mixing bowl.

Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Batter in lined loaf pan, ready to bake.

Pour the batter into you loaf pan. Optional: add extra chocolate chips on top.

Freshly baked loaf of paleo zucchini banana bread.

Place the loaf in your oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes.

After baking, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the loaf pan. Then remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire cooling rack.
Cool to room temperature and slice to desired size.

Tips and Tricks

Measure ingredients by weight (when given). This ensures accuracy and will give you the best results. You can use a small kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.
Make the loaf nut free. You can make this loaf nut free by swapping the almond flour for tigernut flour.
Add other mix-ins. Feel free to add in chopped nuts/seeds, dried fruit or alternative spices (like ground ginger and cloves).

Healthy banana bread with zucchini and almond flour.

Storage

Store this gluten free zucchini banana bread in an airtight container in the fridge, up to 10 days. It can be left out at room temperature for a day or 2 as well.

For longer storage, slice the loaf and wrap it in parchment paper. Place it in a plastic baggie and freeze up to one month.

FAQ

Do I have to add tapioca starch?

Tapioca starch is added for texture purposes. The loaf will still bake without it, but will have a different texture. You can always swap tapioca starch for arrowroot starch/flour.

Did you remove the water from the zucchini?

Yes, you'll want to remove the excess water from the zucchini before adding it to the batter.

Looking for more gluten free and paleo zucchini recipes? Check these out: